тАШI donтАЩt know if manifestoes influence public opinionтАЩ

Rashtriya Lok Dal State president Baba Hardev Singh shares with Anil Yadav his partyтАЩs views on the polls and why he thinks that his partyтАЩs move on giving ticket to candidates having a criminal background was correct.

Why do you expect that people will vote in favour of your party in this election?

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We are the only political party whose programme is based on the polices of Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Since its formation, the RLD have been raising issues of farmers and rural poor. Besides our workers have fought against the corruption in UP during last five years of BSP regime.

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You have been a bureaucrat, what forced you to take up politics and contest an election?

Right from my days in provincial service I have been fighting for the honesty and transparency in public life. I want farmers to get profitable price of their agriculture produce and the poor to have guarantee of the employment, education and good medical facilities. The corruption free society and good governance are other major issues I am raising during my election campaign and the people are responding to it. The RLD have already included these issues in its manifesto.

Do you believe that the people elect candidates on basis of manifestos released by respective political parties?

I donтАЩt exactly know if the manifesto influences the public opinion but my party believes in work and not in mere words. What RLD promises, it tries to stand by it.

Like others the RLD too have given election tickets to criminals. What is difference between them and you?

RLD never gave ticket to any criminal. We never believed in politics of caste and religion either. We aim to give employment and an honourable life to youth so that they could be part of the nation building.

Seeing hike in polling percentage during first phase how do you rate the work of the Election Commission in UP?

It is true that the Election Commission is doing a commendable job but in several Assembly segments the instructions by EC are being misused by the dishonest candidates while upright candidates are being unnecessarily harassed.